If you’re involved with your company’s IT services, you’ve probably heard the term Software-as-a-service or SaaS. If you haven’t, it’s a term and a concept with which you’ll probably want to familiarize yourself.
SaaS is a software distribution model wherein a cloud provider hosts the software online. Customers of a SaaS product generally pay a monthly subscription fee and can access the software from any device with internet capabilities. Examples are email, calendaring, and tools like Microsoft Office 365.
Essentially, this is a pay-as-you-go complete software solution from a cloud service provider. You’ll rent the use of an app for your company or organization, and your users connect to it via a web browser. The app software and data and the underlying infrastructure are all located in the service provider’s data center, and they manage the hardware and software.
Advantages of SaaS
If you’ve used Outlook or Yahoo! Mail, you’ve already used SaaS services. However, these are free services for personal use. For corporate use, you can rent SaaS apps for much more sophisticated needs, such as customer relationship management, resource planning, and document management.
That said, there are several reasons why SaaS might be great for your business.
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You only pay for what you use
If you don’t need a lot of “fancy” features, you don’t need to opt for them. Furthermore, most SaaS services automatically scale up and down according to your usage, so you won’t be overpaying for features you’ll never use.
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Applications become more affordable
Applications become more affordable because to gain access to sophisticated apps you won’t need to purchase, install, update, or maintain your own software or hardware. For example, applications that handle things like ERP (enterprise resource planning) become affordable because you don’t need to buy and manage the software or the required infrastructure. That represents substantial annual savings for your IT budget.
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Free client software
You’ll be using free client software. Most SaaS apps are run directly from whatever web browser you’re using, so you won’t need to download or install your own software. That means lots of savings because you’re not making expensive software purchases.
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Access your data from literally anywhere
You and your team will be able to access your data from anywhere. This is ideal, given today’s globalized workforce. This is also advantageous because when data is stored in the cloud, it’s never lost, even if your computer or other device fails. That’s certainly an extra layer of security that you’ll appreciate.
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Mobilizing your workforce has never been easier
Because your employees will access apps and data from any internet-connected device, you don’t have to worry about whether your software works on different computers, tablets, or smartphones. That part of the equation has already been addressed by your service provider. You also won’t need to worry about the security issues that can sometimes be a problem with mobile computing. Your SaaS provider will be sure that your data is safe.
Trust The Professionals
SaaS integration can help you connect with the other technologies in your IT system to ensure smooth operations across the board, whether it’s in customer management, human resources, or something else entirely. This also saves time, reduces human error, improves customer service, and improves transparency. It’s a win-win situation.
At Stillwater IT, we’ve helped many of our customers thrive through the use of SaaS, helping them recognize both the money- and time-saving perks associated with such a system. Want to learn more about it? For a detailed explanation and more information about SaaS specifics, including pricing, talk to our experts by calling 604-899-1105.